The Deal
by darkpothead
Summary: When Harry is killed at the end of Deathly Hallows, instead of meeting Albus Dumbledore, he meets Death itself. He strikes up a deal with the Devil to go back in time to try and prevent the Wizarding World's downfall. End of GoF onward AU. Partially dark/grey!Harry and Hermione, probably will have a H/Hr pairing in the future.
1. Prologue: Meeting Lucy

_**The Deal**_

* * *

Normal Speech

_Thoughts_

_/Parseltongue/_

_*Mind Speech*_

* * *

_Prologue: Meeting Lucy_

* * *

Quick A/N: Rated M for language and potential future depictions of violence or adult themes. Future entries may contain light to heavy bashing of certain characters, I haven't decided yet. This is my first story I've published, and it hasn't been beta read yet. I apologize for any mistakes made, if they're pointed out to me I'll fix them up, but I think I caught all of them. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

A flash of green light pierced the night sky. A young, raven-haired, emerald-eyed man fell to the ground, dead. Laughter erupted from the circle of masked figures in dark robes, as they followed their pale leader out of the forest to conquer the world.

* * *

Harry Potter awoke to a bright, white light. The last thing he remembered was being struck by the _Avada Kedavra_ curse, then falling as he blacked out. He sat up, trying to get a sense of his surroundings. He felt like he was in a purely white, misty train station- _King's Cross, perhaps?_ he thought to himself. As he turned around, he noticed a shadowy figure standing behind him, wearing a pitch black cloak that seemed to be made of darkness.

"Who… Who are you?" Harry asked the figure. It glided towards him, slowly, and his hand instinctively went to his pocket to try and grab his wand, the Patronus Charm already on his lips, when he found that his wand was gone. He tried to back away, but the figure was still steadily gliding towards him. Harry soon decided to accept his fate, as he knew he was already dead.

The figure stopped in front of him. Its arms reached up to the hood of its cloak, revealing slim hands gloved with black leather. It lowered its hood, and Harry saw that it was actually a she. The woman had pale, white skin, crimson eyes, and piercings on her nose, lower lip, ears, and eyebrows. Her hair was long and jet black with streaks of purple, except for the sides, which were shaven and entirely purple. Harry also noticed that she had two small horns protruding from the top of her skull.

"You ask me who I am?" the woman asked with an American accent. She continued, "I have been given many names throughout my existence. You might recognize some of them, such as Hades, Beelzebub, Loki, Set, Mara, Death… Most recently I believe they call me The Grim Reaper, Satan, La Diabla, and Lucifer. You may call me Lucy at the moment. I rather like that name." As she was speaking, Harry noticed that her teeth seemed to be sharpened into points, with her canines being slightly longer than the rest, and that she had a split tongue, with a blood red tongue ring pierced through each half. Surprisingly, her voice was light and cheerful, and almost sounded like she was singing.

"Death..? So, you created the Deathly Hallows?!" Harry exclaimed.

Lucy chuckled. "We'll get to that bit at a later time. Right now we need to address the fact that you are, in fact, dead, and that I am in need of your services."

Harry was silent for a few minutes, trying to let the fact that he really was dead sink in. Then, realizing something, he spoke up. "Wait… You said you were Satan. I've never been a religious person, but I know enough to know that you're an evil being. Why should I trust you?"

Lucy laughed again. "Well, it's not as if you really have a choice. You are dead, after all. I'm just here to give you a second chance. Besides, if those stories were _actually_ true, you would be going to Hell to be tortured for all of eternity for being a nonbeliever, so there's really nothing worse I could do to you. The truth of the matter is that I'm the Goddess of the Dead. My job is to guide those who have died to the afterlife, and to be the primary caretaker of the Underworld, or the Spirit Realm. It is true that some of the more evil souls receive punishment, but that isn't for me to decide. Though it is true that I am a bit of a mischievous trickster, and I have a fairly dark side, those stories about me being evil are completely misconstrued. Also, technically the gods can no longer interact with the Physical Realm, long story, but since I have to be able to collect the souls of the fallen, I'm the exception. My prankster side combined with the fact that I don't follow the gods' Rules have given many of the modern religious members the idea that I'm an entity of Evil."

"Oh. Well, I don't really have a choice other than to trust you, I suppose. So, what do you want from me?" Harry asked.

"Oh, quite the same as what you want from me." Lucy smiled at him. "I want you to go back to the Land of the Living. and complete your mission of obliterating that abomination Thomas Marvolo Riddle. No man is meant to live forever, and the rest of the gods agree that I should restore your soul and give you a second chance. Naturally I'm going to use this as a chance to mess with the Mortal Realm more than usual without them being able to do anything about it, but that's beside the point."

"So, you need me to return to my body so I can defeat Voldemort. What happens after that? Am I to just die again? Sacrifice myself? I can't kill Voldemort if _I'm_ the one keeping him alive, can I?" Harry slumped against a wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the ground.

_**SMACK!**_

Harry looked up at Lucy, startled as he felt the side of his face burning in pain.

"You fucking idiot! Pay attention, will you? Didn't I mention that I'm planning on interfering? Or that I happen to be _the_ Goddess of Death and that I'm upset that such an _unnatural_ soul is wandering around, stealing the lives of innocents who weren't supposed to die yet? Of course you'll succeed, you'll have _my personal help."_ With a satisfied nod towards him that implied that that was that, she took Harry's silence as a chance to put her glove back over her slender hands. Harry noticed that he fingernails were somewhat long, pointed like claws, and were the same dark purple as the streaks in her hair. Not that you'd know this," she continued after replacing the glove, "but we can't even begin to work towards defeating old Tommy boy until after we make a Contract, which both of us have to agree to. So you can make sure you'll have all the time and help you need, and you'll be able to check to make sure I'm not going to screw you over in the end. How's that sound?"

"Well, alright then. I guess that makes sense. But how am I supposed to kill him without killing myself first? And did you really have to slap me? That bloody hurt!"

"Yes." Lucy smirked down at him before lending Harry her hand to help him to his feet. I'm sending you back without that piece of his soul connected to your's. So you won't have to willingly walk to your death this time around, hoping someone else will finish him off for you. You need to go back and survive. With you dead, the Light side of the Wizarding World would have become disheartened and broken, allowing Tom Riddle to take control, and gain enough power to make himself nearly invincible, even without his horcruxes. So, we need to send you back to guide them on the right path and, with my help, defeat Riddle."

"Okay, okay, i get it. So, Lucy, what and where is this contract we need to sign?" Harry asked.

"Not contract. It's a _Contract._ Put some emphasis into it. It's important and deserves a capital letter."

"Alright, fine. What and where is this _Contract_ we need to sign?"

"Much better. To answer your question: we need to create it. First we need to go over some details, then we write them down once we've decided on them, then we both read it over and sign it if we agree on them. You'll get your own copy, of course. The terms we agree to will be in effect for all of eternity, including after our goal is completed and after you eventually die. Now, here are the terms I suggest:

"One, I will return your soul to your body some time before your Fifth Year, the exact time is up to you, and you will remember everything that has occurred. Two, I will assist you in any way that I can, including, but not limited to, helping you in battle, giving you advice, letting you know others' true motives, and improving your personal knowledge and skills both related and unrelated to our goal of kill Tom Riddle. Three, I will never lie to you, and I will answer any and all questions you have for me. In addition, you will never lie to me, and you will answer any and all questions I have for you. Four, I will protect you and a select few of your closest allies to be protected from Death until you would normally die of old age. After you and your selected companions die you will be taken to the Spirit Realm and judged just as any Soul would. I will not own your soul or anything like that. The exact number of allies and who to protect will be decided after our goal is completed and will be added to our Contract. Until then, I will help protect your most important and closest allies, but those you do not select will lose that protection after we update our Contract. Five, I will grant you some special powers to aid you in reaching our goal, which you can keep for the rest of your life, and even in death. These power are allowed to break certain physical and magical laws, however because you are a Mortal there will be limitations. These powers will be chosen by you and, if I accept, will be added to our Contract throughout our time together. Powers to others can and will be granted, however they will have more restrictions that your own will. They will also last beyond death. Six, you will not be able to speak to anyone about our Contract, or even my existence, unless I give you explicit permission first.

"Those are my initial six terms. If you would like to alter, add to, or subtract any of these terms, you're free to do so. We will continue going back and forth until we reach an agreement and begin to write the Contract."

Harry stood for many minutes, contemplating each and every term, considering any disadvantages to him, or if there was anything he'd like to change or add. He wished Hermione was here with them, she would be better at thinking things through than he was. After approximately ten minutes of thought, he finally decided that there was only one thing he'd like to add to the Contract.

"Well," he said, "I can't find anything I'd like to change about your terms, except that I'd like a few others to remember what's happened so far as well, and to be allowed to know about what happened to me."

"Hmm..." Lucy thought for a moment or two. "I accept, but I can only allow one other person to remember. Oh, and no one who has died yet for two reasons. First, if they remember being dead then suddenly come back to life, it could be enough of a shock to damage their minds. The only reason it won't damage your mind is because we're still in the Purgatory Realm, and therefore you're still experiencing your existence as a member of the Living rather than the Dead. Secondly, they would know too much about the gods and the afterlife, and the other gods don't want that getting out. Like I said before, I'm the only god who can interact with the Physical World, therefore I'm the only one Mortals are really allowed to know anything about. Also, this person will have to be agreed upon by both of them, and before I allow them to remember I will have to judge them to make sure I agree they're trustworthy."

"I accept," Harry replied.

Lucy reached into her cloak and pulled out what seemed to be a white, glowing parchment and what Harry recognized as a blood quill. He instinctively cringed and rubbed the back of his hand where the words _I must not tell lies_ were still inscribed.

Lucy, noticing this reaction, spoke up. "Don't worry, mine is a painless blood quill. If everything goes right, we'll be able to prevent that from ever happening. I'm sure that bitch will get what she deserves in the coming years." At this it was Harry's turn to smirk, his darker side showing as he imagined being able to take revenge on all those who had abused him throughout the years. Lucy took notice of this and grinned at him, showing off her sharp teeth.

"Well, I certainly hope I'm not rubbing off on you too much. But, it should be fun seeing the Wizarding World having to deal with a much stronger Harry Potter than they're used to. Now, what time would you like to go back to?"

"My Fourth Year, towards the end of the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament."

"Ah. To save Cedric, I assume?"

"Yes. But also to catch Wormtail and Voldemort by surprise."

"Well now, that should be interesting. You won't be able to kill Voldemort, of course, but you should be able to stop him from receiving your blood and get revenge on the rat while you're at it."

"I plan on getting Sirius freed before that happens."

"Oh, but of course. Well, the Contract is all written up. The special powers and protection of allies will be addressed at a later time, as I mentioned before. Care to take a look?"

Harry took the parchment from Lucy's hand and examined it. The wording was almost exactly what she had said earlier when listing her suggested terms. He made sure to check for any small print or phrasing of words that could come back to bite him in the arse later on, but he couldn't find anything.

"It looks good to me. Where do I sign?"

Lucy took the parchment from him, then drew two lines next to each other beneath to terms of the Contract. She then signed her name (or, at least Harry _assumed_ it was her name. It was written in strange, ancient looking symbols that he didn't recognize.), then handed it to Harry. he signed on the second line, then he felt the parchment heat up and flash bright white, except for the glowing crimson that marked their signatures. He then saw that both he and Lucy were holding identical copies of the same parchment, which was no longer a glowing white page, but instead an old, yellowed piece of parchment.

"Don't worry about how it looks," said Lucy. "It's indestructible, and is invisible to everyone other than the parties involved. Keep it folded up and in your pocket, and you'll always be able to find it on you, no matter what, even if you change clothes."

"Thank you, Lucy. I'm counting on this to work."

"I am too. Now, let us let this adventure begin." She took off her glove again and waved her hand in front of Harry's face. He immediately blacked out, then his body slowly dissolved into ashes and disappeared. Then she placed the glove back on her hand, and her hood over her head, and walked off, her body fading into the mist as she left the Purgatory Realm.

* * *

A/N: No, Lucy will not be Harry's love interest in this story. I think they'll become close friends/allies, but Harry's love interest, if he has one, will most likely be Hermione. And no, Lucy won't betray Harry. She's going to be a hero/anti-hero with a bit of a dark side, not the typical bad guy devil.

A/N 2: I don't plan on going too deep into the gods aspect of this story. Lucy's the only god we'll see. As interesting as it would be to get into some kind of history of the gods or the different Realms or whatever, I feel like it'll just be too much for the story. While we're on the topic of gods, note that this is fiction, and I'm not saying that anyone beliefs are right or wrong, Personally I don't believe in any gods, and you shouldn't be offended if I make the villain of your story the hero of mine. Just because you consider that character real doesn't mean I can't create a fictional version of that same character.

A/N 3: I'm not sure how much of a regular updater I'll be. This is my first published story, I have a few drafts saved on my computer for other stories, so I haven't really gotten into any sort of flow yet. This is just the first one I feel like I have a good enough idea of where to go with it in order to actually be able to publish it. Also, any criticism or advice is appreciated, as I'm sure I've missed a few mistakes I've made or I worded something in a strange way that makes it hard to understand. In any case, if you've made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy the story so far and that I'll be able to finish it and many more for those who do.  



	2. Chapter 1: In the Graveyard

**_The Deal_**

* * *

Normal Speech

_Thoughts_

_/Parseltongue/_

_*Mind Speech*_

* * *

_Chapter 1: In the Graveyard_

* * *

Harry opened his eyes, swaying and stumbling for a few minutes, feeling as if he had just spun in circles for an hour. Once he steadied himself, he looked around and noticed that he was in the maze of the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament.

_Was all that a dream? I feel like I might have passed out, but that all seemed so real. Well, I guess it's time to find out… _he thought as he hurried down the confusing path.

_*It was no dream,*_ he heard Lucy's familiar singsong voice in his head. Harry stopped suddenly, unsure of what was happening. _*Yes, it's me, Lucy. Since you need my help, and I can't always talk with you when others are around, we'll be able to communicate with each other via our thoughts. I promise I won't invade your thoughts or memories, and that, if you want me out of your head, I shall leave until you call me again. Our Contract compels me to tell the truth. Now, hurry. If you'd like, I can help you recall your memories of this place.*_

_*Alright, do it,* _Harry thought as he started running between the hedges. _*Please and thank you.*_ Suddenly images of the path he was on were flashing through his head, and he followed it to the center of the maze.

_*Do what you need to to keep Cedric out of the way. You still have the power of the young man you were before, not the fourteen-year-old body you currently inhabit. Plus I'll be boosting your natural abilities. Use that power. I'll be waiting for you in the graveyard.* _With a mental nod, he approached the Sphinx guarding the entrance to the center.

"_First think of the person who lives in disguise,_

_Who deals in secrets and tells naught bu-"_

"Spider!" Harry nearly shouted. The Sphinx glared at him for a few moments before she begrudgingly trudged to the side. Harry ran past, glancing back and forth for Cedric and the Acromantula that was sure to attack him.

It only took a few seconds to find them, after all, a giant spider chasing a young man who was frantically firing useless spells at it isn't a site that's hard to spot. Harry was right behind the spider, in the perfect position to not be seen by Cedric.

"_Sectumsempra," _Harry muttered under his breath, pointing his wand at the back of the giant spider's abdomen. The Acromantula was split clean in half, a splatter of blood and organs now coating the hedges that surrounded them. Before Cedric could turn around and spot him, or even realize what was happening, Harry sent a silenced stunning spell at him, knocking him flat on his face. He then sent some sparks up above the maze to signal the professors and medi-wizards on campus before continuing on to the center of the maze.

Once he had the blue glow of the Triwizard Cup in sight, he decided to contact Lucy again.

_*Hey, Lucy?*_

_*Yes, Harry?*_

_*Any chance that you'd be able to force this Portkey to send me __**behind**_ _Wormtail and Tam instead of in front of them?*_

He could feel Lucy grinning like mad again. _*But of course. And what a __**devilish **__plan it is, if you'll pardon the expression. Take the Cup now, I'll guide you to where you need to be.*_

Harry chuckled at the minor pun, then grabbed the portkey, only to feel the familiar, uncomfortable sensation of being pulled into the sky by his navel.

* * *

Harry landed almost silently about three meters away from the dark figures of Wormtail and Voldemort. Unfortunately, he hadn't been quiet enough.

"Wormtail. Turn around! Turn around now! Someone's behind us!" Voldemort's high pitched voice shrieked at his servant.

"_STUPEFY!" _Harry yelled, putting as much force into the spell as he could. The results were just what he wanted. Before Pettigrew could even complete turning around, a red beam of light hit him, causing him to drop the ugly, alien-baby-like creature on the ground, and knocking Wormtail out cold. Not only that, but the sheer force of the spell caused him to fly back and hit his head on a nearby tombstone with a satisfying _crunch._

Wand pointed at the ugly baby named Tom, Harry slowly approached the man who had made his life a living hell since the day he was born.

"Well, well, well. Hello, Tom. Now, what to do with you? I can't very well kill you, since you simply _refuse_ to die, but perhaps I can take you with me. Regardless of what happens, you won't be getting any of _my_ blood tonight." Voldemort's deformed, snake like eyes widened in shock. "Yes, I know of your plans, Tom. I also know that Barty Crouch Jr. is hiding out at Hogwarts, posing as Mad-Eye Moody. You should really learn to be careful of who you hand out information to. You never know who's truly on your side, or who's really who. Or maybe it's just that your _mind_ is so _open_ to others that it's just obvious what you're planning." At this, Voldemort narrowed his eyes, before reaching out with his mind, trying to attack harry mentally. Harry could feel his mind being probed, but his scar no longer hurt, as the horcrux within him was gone now. Luckily, Lucy was shielding his mind from the attack. He thought a quick thanks to her, before crouching over Riddle and picking him up by the leg. Voldemort struggled for a bit, not being able to do much in his weakened physical condition when Lucy was protecting Harry's mind, before Harry cast a Full Body-Bind Curse on him.

"I think I'll just take you with me. I don't know if you'll come back again if I kill you, but I'd rather not take the chance and just capture you while you're weak." _Plus,_ he added in his head, _it'll stop the Ministry from posting all that damn propaganda about me in the coming year._ As Harry approached where Wormtail was still lying, passed out, he glanced around, searching for Lucy. _She did say she'd meet me here, didn't she..?_

_*Harry! Turn around! Someone's about to arrive!*_

Harry tossed Voldemort on top of Wormtail's limp form, rose his wand, and took a battle stance. He saw someone land on the ground just a few meters away, pointing a large staff at him while throwing an old sock to the side. Harry recognized the man as Mad-Eye Moody, though he knew that it was actually Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise, and assumed the sock was the portkey he had used to get here.

"_Stupefy!" _the fake Moody shouted. Harry blocked the stunner with a quick _Protego_, then sent an _Incarcerous_ flying towards Crouch. Crouch cut the bindings to ribbons using _Diffindo. _Then Crouch caught a glimpse of the bodies behind Harry and, enraged, he sent a _Crucio _towards Harry. He fell to the floor, feeling hot knives stabbing into his organs and electricity flowing through his head and down his spine. The pain wasn't nearly as bad as the same curse Voldemort had performed on him in the alternate world, but goddamn did it still hurt.

Harry lay, twitching on the floor, unable to think of a spell to save him, let alone actually cast one. Crouch stood over Harry, looking down on him with a smug look on his face that just didn't match the Mad-Eye disguise he was wearing. Then Crouch sent ropes towards Harry and they bound him in place while he walked behind Harry towards the bodies of Pettigrew and Voldemort.

After a minute, the pain began rapidly increasing, well beyond what Voldemort's felt like when he was under it for just a few seconds. Harry realized that he wasn't going to stop. He searched frantically for Lucy, but she was nowhere to be seen. The pain in his body was unbearable, and it was getting to the point where he could barely think straight.

_*Goddammit, can you help me __**please**__?* _Harry screamed in his mind. Suddenly he felt his pain stop and the bindings tear. He breathed heavily for a few moments, trying to calm himself and get his thoughts straightened out. He turned his head towards Crouch, who was kneeling before the small, deformed shape of Voldemort's body, which was sitting back against a gravestone. They appeared to be mumbling to each other, but Harry couldn't make out the words.

_*What took you so long?*_

_*Well, you never called me. I assumed you have everything under control and would have asked for help if needed.*_

_*Did I __**look**_ _like I had everything under control?*_

_*Well, no, but I don't read your mind unless you're communicating with me. So I thought I'd sit by and wait. If you passed out without telling me anything, then I'd get you out of there.*_

_*Alright, fine. But next time it looks like I'm in trouble, and I'm not communicating, just quickly scan my surface thoughts, okay? So you know whether to act or if I'm planning something. No pushing it deeper and invading my memories. Deal?*_

_*Okay, deal. Now, get up quietly and try attacking him from behind. It might not be very sportsmanlike, but remember, he's the one who tried to kidnap you, and he held you under the influence of __**Crucio**_ _long enough to cause temporary to permanent damage, if I wasn't helping to shield and protect your mind.*_

Harry stood up, slowly, and quietly. He pointed his wand at the back of Crouch, who was too focused on his master to be paying attention, and began drawing upon his magical core to send a silent high-powered stunner towards him, when Crouch suddenly turned around and shot one at Harry. There wasn't enough time for Harry to cast a Protective charm, so he tried dodging it. Unfortunately, he was still a bit woozy from the _Cruciatus _that was performed on him, so he stumbled and fell onto his side.

_Shit! _thought Harry. _I forgot about Moody's eye! _Crouch smiled wickedly and sent another stunner at Harry, but this time it was absorbed just half a meter away from him. There was a strange rippling in the air where the spell struck, and a faint purple glow flashed when the spell disappeared. Barty Jr. looked confused at first. But, as he started sending stunner after stunner towards Harry, his confusion turned to anger, then, to fear, as even his more deadly curses, such as Blasting Hexes and Slashing Curses, were absorbed by the shield. Not even _Fiendfyre_ could penetrate it.

_*I take it this is your doing?*_

_*But of course.*_

_*You have my thanks.*_

Harry got to his feet, and began to approach Crouch. He rapidly sent a few stunners and binding curses towards him, but, unfortunately, Harry's senses were still a bit dull, so Crouch was able to dodge them. At this point, Crouch wasn't even trying to hit Harry anymore, his only focus was on escape. But, not without his master.

He ran away from his master, dodging Harry's attacks, but just barely now. Harry was becoming more focused, and had a better aim because of it. He finally sent a _Sectumsempra _right on target, but Crouch spun on his heel and disappeared with a loud _crack_ just before the spell could connect.

"Dammit!" Harry yelled. "I almost had hi-"

_Crack!_ Harry heard the sound of apparition directly behind him. He spun around and sent a Blasting Hex towards it, but it hit only the gravestone Voldemort was resting against, destroying it. Crouch had managed to rescue his master and get away.

"FUCK!" shouted Harry. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I was so stupid!"

"Calm down, Harry!" he heard a voice call out behind him. He turned around and saw Lucy, once again in her shadowy cloak, gliding towards him. "Calm down. Breathe. You're alive, aren't you? Voldemort hasn't fully returned, yet, and doesn't have your blood. Plus, Pettigrew is still lying around with his skulled cracked a bit. You did well. Especially since we weren't expecting Crouch to show up, and we're not used to fighting together."

Harry closed his eyes and took a few breaths. She was right, he saved Cedric, captured Wormtail, and prevented Voldemort from coming back for now. "Thanks, Lucy…" he mumbled. Lucy playfully punched him in response. "Hey-! Alright, alright. Thank you. Really," Harry chuckled.

"Don't mention it," replied Lucy.

"So, where were you this whole time? I kept looking for you, but I couldn't find a trace of you."

"Oh, I was a cat in a nearby tree. I can take different forms, you see. I just prefer a cat usually. I don't want to be seen just yet, because we don't need anyone knowing that you're having an unknown person help you out. So for now I think it's best if I just stay out of sight when we're not alone."

"I agree with you there. Do you have a story as to why a cat is following me around everywhere? Or are you just going to remain in the shadows at all times?"

"I'll be your new pet cat at the start of next term. But, that's not important right now. First, you have to consider what you want to tell everyone when you go back. You don't want a repeat of your last Fifth year."

"You're right, of course. But, I already have a story planned. Would you be able to shield my mind and form a false memory for me in case anyone tried to use Legilimency to see if I'm telling the truth?"

"You bet. I'll also let you know when and who is reading your mind."

"Thanks. So this will take me back to the Maze entrance, correct?"

"It sure will. I'll see you in a few hours, when things have quieted down. If you need me, just call."

"I will. Goodbye, Lucy."

"Goodbye, Harry. Good luck." With that, she seemingly floated away until she blended in with the darkness of the night,

_Well, let's get this over with,_ Harry thought. He grabbed the front of Wormtail's shirt, then summoned the Portkey and vanished, leaving the Graveyard empty.


	3. Ch 2: Explanations (Important AN at top)

AN: I've created a forum for this story, and I've used it to post an update on the progress of the next chapter and some plans I have for the story. One that was really too long to just add as an author's note onto this chapter. You can check it out here: topic/167441/126277251/1/The-Deal-Update-1-and-a-couple-of-Q-As-insideI'd greatly appreciate it if everyone whose interested could go take a look at it. Thanks!

* * *

_**The Deal**_

* * *

Normal Speech

_Thoughts_

_/Parseltongue/_

_*Mind Speech*_

* * *

_Chapter 2: Explanations_

* * *

Harry felt his feet land on the ground, but he kept his eyes closed, waiting for the world to stop spinning. He absolutely hated travelling by Portkey, it was even worse than Appariting. He made a mental note to talk to Lucy about whether or not she could allow him to use underage magic, especially Apparition. Or an alternative form of transportation altogether.

He slowly opened his eyes, and he noticed that everyone in the crowd was staring at him, Then he noticed that, while at first he had heard cheers when he showed up, that had quickly died down to silence, then murmurs throughout the crowd. After all, it's not every day a Fourth Year wins the Triwizard Tournament. Or that they showed up out of nowhere, holding a grown man who was bleeding from the head. Harry glanced around quickly, locating Dumbledore, Fudge, Ron and Hermione, as well as the other three contestants, who were all receiving medical care at the moment. Then, he spoke.

"I need to speak to the Headmaster and the Minister! In private! Now!" he stated loudly. As soon as he saw Dumbledore and Fudge begin to approach him, he nodded towards Hermione and Ron, who understood and got up to follow him as well. Then he levitated Wormtail's body and headed towards the castle. He could hear the murmurs behind him grow louder, but he paid it no mind. His only focus was to set his godfather free.

* * *

Just a few minutes later, Harry, Dumbledore, Fudge, and an unconscious Pettigrew were all sitting in the Headmaster's office (unfortunately Hermione and Ron had to stay out in the hallway because the Minister was having a fit over them joining the impromptu meeting). Before they had entered the office, however, Harry quickly mentioned to Dumbledore to have someone search all the trunks in Moody's office, stating that he'd explain inside. Albus called for Professor McGonagall to perform the search.

"Now, Harry, young man. Tell us what happened! And who is this bleeding man you brought back? Oh, the _Prophet_ is going to have a field day with this! How did this stranger even get here? Oh no, oh no…" the Minister was going on like this, a bit frantically, before Dumbledore interjected.

"Now, now, Cornelius, calm down. Let the boy speak. Harry, please explain what happened. But, first, tell us who this man is." Dumbledore spoke in a much softer, calmer tone than Fudge did, and seemed to help put everyone at ease.

"Well, Professor," Harry started. "I thought that would have been obvious to the two of you. That's Peter Pettigrew."

The Minister gasped. "Merlin's Beard! That's not possible! Pettigrew was killed over a decade ago by Sirius Black!"

"Minister, we'll be able to confirm whether or not that is indeed Pettigrew soon enough. For now, let's listen to what Harry has to say."

"Fine, fine, get on with it, boy."

"Well, I suppose the easiest place to start is right after I encountered a Sphinx. I was able to solve her riddle, then I moved towards the final section of the maze, where I saw Cedric Diggory passed out on the ground, with a dead Acromantula behind him. Well, I say dead, but honestly it looked more like the spider had been cut in half, then its insides exploded outwards. It was quite sickening, actually. Anyway, I sent up some sparks to signal someone to come help Cedric, then I moved onto the center of the maze. I found the cup, grabbed it, and found that it was a Portkey that took me to a graveyard of some sort. Pettigrew was there, waiting for me, and he tried to ambush me. Fortunately he doesn't seem to be a very strong wizard, so I was able to defend myself against him. Actually I didn't even do much, I managed to stun him, then he fell and his head on a gravestone. I was just checking my surroundings to get an idea of where I was when I heard someone else arrive via Portkey. It was our Defence Professor, Professor Moody. At first, I was relieved to see him. But, I quickly realized something wasn't quite right, so I kept my guard up. And I was right. He confessed to being a supporter of Voldemort-" at this, the Minister flinched almost violently, "-named Barty Crouch Jr. and that he had come to take his revenge on me for the downfall of the Dark Lord." At this point, the Minister just had to cut in.

"Barty Crouch Jr.?! But _he's_ been dead for years as well! Do you have any proof of this, or is this just some ploy to get publicity?!"

"Only my memories, Minister. Also, Crouch did mention keeping Professor Moody 'locked up in a trunk,' I believe were his words were. I do believe the Headmaster has the Deputy Headmistress performing a search as we speak. Plus I brought back Pettigrew. Now, may I carry on with my story?" Fudge resentfully agreed.

"Thank you. Now, as I was saying, this man claimed to be Barty Crouch Jr., who I assume is Mr. Crouch's son, and that he believed killing me would actually bring the Dark Lord back. It sounds like he was going a bit mental to me, but Azkaban will do that to you. Luckily for me he seemed more prone to monologuing than to actual fighting, so I was able to stealthily summon the Cup and grab Pettigrew before getting out of there. And that's what happened."

_*You got all that?*_ Harry mentally asked Lucy.

_*Yeah, you shouldn't have any problems with anyone who tries to read your mind. While you were telling them your story, I just kept up a shield that showed them a memory of what you were saying, so it just seemed like you were concentrated on what you were talking about. No one tried to read your mind, though.*_

_*Alright, thank you. Hopefully this will be over with soon so we can discuss a few things.*_

_*Oh? Like what?*_

_*Well, I think I know who I'd like to let in on what we're doing, give them their memories back, etc. And I'd like to just discuss what happened back there. For now, I kind of need to focus on this, though.*_

Lucy made a mental nod, and Harry refocused his attention back to the discussion at hand. Fudge seemed to be pacing, refusing to believe much of what Harry said, though he did seem a bit more willing than when he heard about Sirius being innocent or, in the other world, Voldemort's return. Dumbledore had given up on calming him down and had just ordered two portrait to fetch for Snape and Madam Pomfrey, and another to let McGonagall know to report back to his office once her business was taken care of.

A few minutes passed before Snape and Madam Pomfrey arrived. Dumbledore greeted the nurse and pointed out the limp form of Pettigrew. then he turned his attention to Snape.

"Ah, Severus, did you bring the Veritaserum I asked for?" Dumbledore asked politely.

"Yes, I did, Headmaster," Snape replied in a drawling, bored tone. "Though I still don't see why we need give credence to anything Potter says. Clearly his fame has gotten to his head. Claiming to have defeated two Death Eaters, both of whom are dead, one of whom was a victim of another Death Eater. Potter's probably still under the influence of Black's Confundus Charm from last year, and this is all a ruse to gain Black his freedom…" Dumbledore rose his hand towards Snape, quieting him, but Snape still muttered his ramblings under his breath,

"Poppy, what's the status of that man's injuries?" Dumbledore inquired.

"He has some minor fractures to the front of his skull, and most likely a concussion, if he hit himself hard enough to be knocked out. I've repaired most of the damage, the worst thing he'll have is a minor headache. He's in good enough condition to take Veritaserum and the hit won't affect his memories. Everything he says will be the truth."

"Very well, thank you, Poppy. You may go." After Madam Pomfrey left, Dumbledore turned back to Snape and nodded. "Three drops, if you will, Severus." Snape reluctantly strutted over to Wormtail and dropped the potion underneath Wormtail's tongue.

_*Can you alter his memories so his story matches up with mine? I don't want him mentioning the homunculus that Voldemort has become.*_

_*I can, but why wouldn't you? I could just alter them so that it makes it seem like you didn't see or know about Voldemort being there. Wouldn't you want the Minister to know and hear it from another party so he'd know and not have a reason to start a propaganda war against you?*_

_*Normally I'd say yes, but based on the past few years in the alternate timeline, I've found the Ministry to be comprised of fools. Fudge didn't start that campaign because he was against me or didn't trust me, it was out of fear of Voldemort returning. If he were to hear about it from another source, he'd do everything in his power to discredit that source as well. It'll make things easier for everyone- well, myself and the Order, anyway, if we're able to work in peace. Not only that, but the Ministry won't be able to ignore the movement of Dark wizards, even if they don't acknowledge that Voldemort's behind it. So Voldemort will have a somewhat more difficult time gathering his troops. That's the way I see it, anyway. What about you?*_

_*No, you make sense. I'd rather not risk it with an idiot like Fudge involved. Besides, you're more familiar with this world than I am, so ultimately we should be going with your judgement here when it comes to politics, not mine. I've altered his memories for you.*_

_*Thank you.*_

Harry refocused his attention and saw that Wormtail was finally regaining consciousness. he figured that Dumbledore must have _Rennervate_d him. The Headmaster beckoned the still-pacing Fudge over and began the interrogation.

"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked.

Wormtail's eyes were clouded over, and he spoke in a monotone, emotionless voice. "Peter Pettigrew. Also known as Wormtail. Also known as Scabbers the Rat." At this, the Minister had a shocked look upon his face, but leaned in closer to hear the rest of the information.

"What plans did you have regarding Harry Potter tonight?"

"The Triwizard Cup was a Portkey, set to send the first person to touch it to a graveyard in Little Hangleton. Once Harry Potter touched it, he would find me waiting for him to capture him. I would then wait for my partner and, together, we would sacrifice Potter to the Dark Lord in hopes of bringing him back."

"Who was this partner of your's?"

"Barty Crouch, Jr."

"What was his role in all of this?"

"He has been posing as Alastor Moody here at Hogwarts. He was to set up the Portkey and ensure Potter was the first to touch the Cup. He was then to take his own Portkey to the graveyard and help me sacrifice Potter."

"What happened once Harry showed up in the graveyard tonight?"

"I went to attack him, he was able to defend himself against me. The last thing I remember is Potter sending a stunning spell towards me."

"Why the Little Hangleton Graveyard?"

"It was where the Dark Lord's father was buried. We believed that we could use Potter's blood and his father's remains to bring back the Dark Lord." At this, there was a spark in Dumbledore's eyes, and it looked as if he had an epiphany of some sort.

"When Lily and James Potter went into hiding from Voldemort in 1980, who was their Secret Keeper?" At this point Fudge was still in enough shock that he didn't even flinch at the mention of Voldemort's name.

"I was."

"Who betrayed their location to Voldemort?"

"I did."

"Is Sirius Black now, or has he ever been, a Death Eater or supporter of Voldemort?"

"No."

"When Sirius Black confronted you after the Potter's deaths, did he kill those 13 Muggles?"

"No."

"Who did?"

"I did."

"How did you escape that night, and how did you frame Sirius?"

"When Sirius confronted me, I used a spell to cause an explosion in the middle of the road, killing those bastard Muggles. Then I cut off my finger, and transformed into a rat and escaped through the sewers. Framing Black had nothing to do with me, everyone thought that he was Lily and James' Secret Keeper, all I had to do was fake my own death and everyone assumed he betrayed the Potters and killed me."

"Are you an unregistered animagus? If so, what is your animal form?"

"Yes, I am. It is a rat."

"What happened last year, when Sirius was captured?"

"He had escaped Azkaban to hunt me down. Remus Lupin had also found out I was still alive during that year, and he and Sirius confronted me at the end of the year. Luckily, Snape didn't give Remus his potion that night, and Remus transformed into a werewolf. That gave me the opportunity to escape." Dumbledore gave a look towards Snape at this comment, whose face had paled even more than usual, then turned to Fudge.

"I think we've heard enough, Minister. Shall we call in the Aurors?"

Fudge had been able to calm himself a bit at this point. "Yes, yes, of course, Dumbledore. But, I think we can skip the Aurors, I'll send for a dementor to come perform a kiss immediately."

"Wait, Minister!" Harry interjected. "He just admitted that he had framed Sirius, and that Sirius was innocent. Shouldn't you hold a trial for Sirius now to free him? Also, he stated that Barty Crouch Jr. is alive and was working with him. Shouldn't you take him in for questioning to find out Crouch's whereabouts?"

"Well, uh… Yes, yes, of course, Mr. Potter. You're correct. Hasty decision making on my part. Yes, I'll call in the Aurors to pick him up. I'll also need to contact the Daily Prophet to announce Black's innocence. My, my, so much is happening all of a sudden. To think, they thought they could bring back You-Know-Who from the dead! Well, it's a good thing that's impossible, I'm not sure what I'd do if that were to happen… Anyway, I best be off. Lot's of people to owl, you know. Oh, and Mr. Potter, I do apologize for not listening to you and your friends last term. I should learn to pay more attention to what the Boy Who Lived says!" Fudge chuckled for a moment, then addressed Dumbledore. "Do you mind if I use your Floo, Dumbledore?"

"Not at all, Minister." Fudge nodded his head in thanks and walked towards the fireplace. Dumbledore then pointed his wand at Wormtail, then Wormtail slumped over, as if asleep. A few moments later Harry heard a knock on the door. "That must be Minerva," said Dumbledore. "Enter."

The door opened, and Professor McGonagall walked through, along with Bill Weasley, and between them was Mad-Eye Moody, thin, with patches of his hair removed, and one of his eyes and legs missing. Moody seemed weak and disoriented, and had to be carried by McGonagall and Bill. "We've found him, Albus." McGonagall stated. They set Moody on a chair and wrapped him in a thick blanket.

"Severus, please go and fetch Poppy for us," Dumbledore ordered. Snape stalked out of the room, grumbling to himself about something no one could hear, but it probably involved Harry in some way. "Now, Minerva, what happened? Also, hello, Bill. It has been a while since I've seen you within these halls."

Bill quickly greeted the Headmaster, sent a quick nod to Harry, who nodded back, then let the Headmistress tell her story. "Well. Albus, I did as you asked, and searched every trunk in Professor Moody's office, and I found nothing until I got to one in the corner of the room that had several locks on it. It wouldn't open, not with the usual charms, anyway, and I couldn't find a key, I had to contact Gringotts to request a curse-breaker, which is why Mr. Weasley is here. He was able to open the chest, and each lock opened a different compartment. We finally found Alastor in a compartment that was just an isolated chamber. We got him out of there, checked him over for any major injuries, then came straight here. Oh, and Mr. Potter, I've asked Ms. Granger and Mr Weasley to go back to their common room. They'll be waiting for you there when you're done here."

Albus nodded and thanked her, then conjured two chairs and offered them to the Transfiguration Professor and Bill Weasley. They both sat, and everyone waited in silence, except for Fudge, who was still conversing with someone via Dumbledore's Floo. Then the door barged open and Madam Pomfrey was back, holding a few potions in her arms. She took one look at Moody and started shoving different vials in his face, trying to get him to drink them. This led to Moody becoming a bit more aware of his surroundings, which led to him closing his lips tightly while trying to push the nurse away from him.

"Oh, blast it, Alastor! I'm not going to bloody poison you! Just open up and take the potions!" Moody started shaking his head "no," and Madam Pomfrey redoubled her efforts. It was at this point that Fudge had exited the Floo, turned to address Dumbledore, opened his mouth to say something, then immediately closed it and stared in bewilderment at the scene in front of him. Moody had tipped his chair back and was actively trying to get away from Pomfrey, while the nurse was on top of him, trying to shove various potions in his mouth. Harry was trying hard not to laugh, but he could hear Lucy cracking up within his mind. Finally, after several minutes of persuasion from Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Pomfrey, Moody finally seceded and took the potions. Once Madam Pomfrey had finished her initial examination, she returned her attention to Dumbledore. "He doesn't have any critical injuries, the main problem is that he's severely malnourished. He'll need to be in my care for a week or two, depending on any injuries I may have overlooked and how… cooperative he'll be. After that he should be free to go."

"Thank you Poppy. Bill, would you be so kind as to help her take Alastor to the Hospital Wing? Also, feel free to spend the night here and visit with your siblings, I'm sure they'll appreciate it. I'll take care of paying Gringotts for your services for the rest of the night, so don't worry about it."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Bill replied. He then waved goodbye to Harry and Professor McGonagall and helped Moody onto his feet and out the door.

Once they were gone, Fudge spoke up. "Well, Dumbledore, I've contacted the Aurors. They should be meeting us in the Great Hall any minute now. I'd appreciate it if you and Harry were to help explain to them what exactly happened here."

"I would certainly be more than happy to come with you, Minister. But I do believe that young Harry here has had more than enough excitement for one night. I'm sure he'd be willing to testify at Pettigrew's trial. For now, I think he should get some rest."

"Fine, fine, very well, Dumbledore."

"Harry, I'm sure your friends are all worried about you. Don't keep them waiting. Also, in light of recent events we will have to postpone to awards ceremony for the Triwizard Tournament, but I should congratulate you on your victory."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry replied. He stood up and walked out the door and down the stairs into the corridor in front of the Headmaster's office.

_*Lucy, can you meet me in one of these empty classrooms?*_

_*Sure thing. Just give me a minute.*_

Harry entered a classroom and leaned against one of the walls. He was waiting for about half a minute when the door opened slightly, and a black cat crawled through. She then pushed the door closed with its head and walked over to Harry.

"Hello Lucy. Aren't you adorable?" Harry crouched down and began scratching her head and behind her ears. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that she had streaks of purple throughout her fur, and had two small horns at the top of her skull. Lucy purred, then stretched and began shifting back to her normal, cloaked self.

"Why, thank you," she giggled. "Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"First off, I'd like to thank you for your help. I wouldn't have made it out of there if it wasn't for you. I wouldn't have even gotten this second chance. So, thank you. Secondly, I think I'd like Hermione to know about you and what's happening. She's the only one who's truly been with me through this whole mess from the beginning, and she's never even thought about abandoning me, even when Ron left us during our hunt for Voldemort's Horcruxes. Plus she's the most brilliant, clever person I know."

Lucy nodded and thought for a moment. "I'll need to examine her mind to make sure I agree with your decision, and she'll have to agree to our Contract, but I think she'll be the best choice of people to help us."

"Thanks. About how long would it take you to examine her mind? And how deep into her mind does this examination go?"

"Just moments after meeting with her. I'd only be looking at her true intentions and allegiance, nothing more. I don't even need to look at her memories, just her thoughts and feelings towards you."

"Okay, excellent. In that case, I'd like to ask for yet another favour. Could you go into the Gryffindor common room, give a message to Hermione, and return to me with my invisibility cloak so I can meet with her?"

"I can, but, remember how I agreed to give you certain powers to help you out? Why don't I just give you the ability to completely conceal yourself? You could become invisible and silence yourself at will, without using any magic."

"Really? You could do that for me?"

"Yes. Let's see, concealment is at the base of the spine. So lay down on your front. This might… hurt a bit. Or a lot. But you'll be fine, I promise."

Harry nervously laid down on the floor, second-guessing his decision, and Lucy got on her knees next to him. She took off the glove of her left hand, and began mumbling words Harry couldn't understand. Her fingers were spread out, her hand above Harry's neck. A silver ball of light began forming in her palm, then it floated to the tip of her index finger, getting smaller as it moved. She then closed all of her other fingers, pointed down at the base of Harry's spine, and plunged the ball (and her finger) down into his chest. Harry tried to gasp, but found that he couldn't breathe. His brain felt like it was being electrocuted. But, the pain only lasted for a few moments, and soon sweet relief filled his mind as a pleasant sensation flowed over it. He found that he was able to breathe again, He took a few deep breaths, then heard Lucy speaking to him.

"You can get up now. You did surprisingly well, actually." Harry reluctantly sat up and slumped against the wall.

"What the fuck was that all about? What did you do to me?" Harry rubbed the back of his neck, and was surprised to find that there was not, in fact, a finger sized hole in it.

"Hey, I told you it would hurt. As for what I was doing, well, I was putting some of my power into you. There are certain sections of the body that can hold the different powers. For invisibility, or more specifically, concealment, since you have the ability to conceal the sounds you make too, that power needs to be held in the base of your spine."

"Ugh. Will all of my 'power-ups' be like that?"

"Yes. You should be able to get used to it, though. The first one is always the worst. Anyway, catch!" She threw two mirrors at Harry. The only reason he was able to catch them was because of all his training as a Seeker. "Check out your neck. You've got a new, rockin' tattoo."

Harry quickly positioned the mirrors so he could see the back of his neck. Lucy was right. Now he had a strange, black symbol on it. It looked like a circle, with a semi-circle below it, and below that was a cross. "Don't worry, no one else can see it. Just you, me, other gods, demigods, or certain species associated with gods, and other people who have made Contracts, like yourself. Oh, and look, I've got the same tattoo." Lucy lowered her hood and showed Harry the back of her neck. Sure enough, she had the same symbol marked on it. Harry rubbed the back, remembering how it felt like she had shoved her finger through his spine. He was about to ask her, when she answered. "Yes, I did shove my finger through your spine. Also, you're still sending your thoughts to me. You never stopped, actually, so I felt everything you did. So don't think I was just tormenting you a bit, it was just something that had to be done."

"I wasn't thinking that. I know I needed it. So, what does that symbol mean?"

"Oh, it's the symbol of Pluto and Hades. They're the rulers of the Underworld in Roman and Greek mythologies, respectively. They're also two names people have given to me throughout the centuries. The legends of Pluto's Helmet and Hades' Cap of Invisibility come from my ability to grant others the power of invisibility through the base of their spine."

"Wow…" was all Harry could say. He never really learned about various religions in the Muggle or Magical world. Plus he was still a little shocked about what had just happened moments before.

"Why don't you try becoming invisible, Harry? Just try concentrating really hard on it. Once you're invisible, you don't have to concentrate on staying invisible, you just have to concentrate on being visible again. When you're first starting out, I'd recommend meditating and focusing on it. Try to practice a few times a day and you'll get the hang of it soon enough. Just be careful not to accidentally become invisible when there are others around you."

Harry nodded and crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and started some breathing exercises. He focused soley on becoming invisible.

_*Let me help guide you your first time around. I'll tell you what to think and help you focus on it. First, imagine you're in a room, and there are people there, staring at you. Now, visualize mist seeping out from your next, slowing throughout the room. Finally, see the mist condense and cover your body, leaving you out of sight from the other people in the room. They can't see you anymore, they're not looking at you anymore. Good, now focus on absorbing the mist into every pore in your body, and become invisible…*_

As he heard Lucy speak, Harry could see the images coming to life within his mind. He felt a pleasant, tingling sensation at the base of his spine, which grew stronger as the visualizations continued. Once they were at the part where he absorbed the mist back into his body, all throughout his pores, the tingling suddenly stopped.

"Awesome, Harry! You're invisible now!" Harry opened his eyes suddenly and looked down. All he saw was the floor he was sitting down on. He couldn't even make out where his body was supposed to be. "Alright, now, when you're in this form, you won't be able to be seen, heard, or felt, unless you want to be. That's not to say you'll be able to just pass through people, you'll still run into people and things, it's just that no one will notice if you happen to bump into them. You also won't leave any footprints behind. I can still sense you, but that's because I'm me, and I gave you this power. Now, if you get to wherever you'd like to meet Hermione and you want to try becoming visible, you just have to visualize the process in reverse- imagine the mist coming out of your body, spreading out, then going back into the base of your spine and everyone in the room notices you again. If you can't do it, don't worry, it takes some getting used to and I'll help you as soon as I return with Hermione. Now, where did you want to meet her and what message did you want to send to her?"

Harry rummaged around his pockets until he found a spare piece of parchment and a Muggle pen he didn't really remember carrying around. He wrote out a quick message to Hermione, then gave it to Lucy. "Thank you, again. Hopefully I'll see you both soon."

"You will," smiled Lucy. "I'm sure she's anxious to see you as well. I'll let you know when we're on our way." With that, she transformed back into her cat form, picked up the parchment in her mouth, and crawled back out of the room.

Harry double checked to make sure he was still invisible, then he left as well, heading towards the Room of Requirement.

* * *

A/N 1: For anyone who's wondering, here ( wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Pluto's_astrological_ /220px-Pluto's_astrological_ .png) is the symbol I was referring to. Here ( wiki/Pluto_(mythology)#The_helmet_of_invisibility) and here ( wiki/Cap_of_invisibility) are the items I was referring to (Hades' Cap and Pluto's Helmet).

A/N 2: I was originally planning on making this chapter go on until after Harry and Hermione's meeting, but then I realized that this one was about the same length as my last two chapters combined. I also apologize for it being so dialogue heavy, but that's what happens when there's interrogations and whatnot going on. Hopefully I managed to make everyone chuckle at least once, though, to help you cope with this all talk no action chapter.

A/N 3: Even though this story only has about 10 reviews at the time of writing this, it already has over 1500 views. First off, I'd like to thank everyone for reading! I never thought that many people would actually read this, let alone the amount of people who have followed and favourited it. I really just wrote and posted this thinking it'd be kind of a fun thing to do, I never expected to get any feedback or anything from it. In any case, what I wanted to say was that, while I do (and will continue to) respond to each review individually, if there are any questions multiple people are asking, I'll start doing a little FAQ section in either the beginning or ending of the chapter so everyone can see it. Currently I've been asked a lot about Harry and Hermione's relationship, how soon is it gunna happen, etc. Here's the thing- I've never written romance before. Granted that I've never written fanfic before, I've only written some original horror stories for school, and I've written songs, but romance is a different thing. I feel like it could quickly become awkward and hard to read if it's not well written. So, if I feel like I can't write romance well enough to actually do it justice, I won't be writing any romance in this story, the most I'll do is mention some relationships without going into too much detail about how much x loves y and whatnot. So, if romance does start up, it'll be in the next chapter. And I should no by then whether or not I'm going to include romance in this story, so you all can have your answer then.

A/N 4: I went back to the first chapter and added in horns to Lucy's description. So now it makes sense that she has them now. Why did I add them? I like horns.


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